The Chicago area is somewhat a mecca for miniature-golf fans with an array of mesmerizing mini-golf courses ranging from 2 tech-infused Puttshack locations and the elegant Puttery mini-golf cocktail bar in Fulton Market to the new arbor-inspired mini-golf course at the Morton Arboretum a little further out.
There is, however, another spot, as far from downtown Chicago as the beloved Morton Arboretum that has been dubbed “the most unusual mini-golf course on the planet.”
North of Chicago in Lincolnshire, Par-King boasts two 18-hole courses made up of an array of wacky and wonderful features including 19 moving obstacles and 7 water holes.
A fun and challenging experience for pros and first-time golfers alike, the course has been referred to as “the Disneyland of golf” thanks to its abundance of exhilarating characteristics.
According to the Par-King website, Par-King was born nearly 70 years ago in Morton Grove in 1955. The course first caught the national eye in the 1960s when the country’s leading trade magazine branded it “Minigolf’s Taj Mahal” and called it “the most elaborate 18-hole minigolf course in the nation.”
Then over 4 decades ago in 1977, the current course opened in Lincolnshire “doubling the size of its predecessor and setting a new standard with its imaginative design and attention to detail.”
Today the expansive mini-golf mecca boasts holes ranging from a rollercoaster to mini versions of Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty.
Today the course can be enjoyed for just $12.50 per person as is open from 10:30 am until 9.30 p.m. weather permitting.
Note that Par-King is cash only but has an ATM onsite.
Par-King generally operates on a first come first served basis and no reservation is necessary unless it is for parties of 15 players or more-
Children must be at least 48 inches tall to be admitted.
More information can be found a par-king.com.